Dessert By Candy

Birthday Gift

I’m terrible at keeping birthday gifts secret. When I come up with a gift idea, I burst with anticipation to share it! Although I still have a few travel stories to tell, I must interrupt with this cutest little birthday cake I made for M. My original plan was actually much more elaborate. It involved setting up a candle lit white tablecloth dinner of three-course home cooked meal. I even made the potato & leek soup and bought the smoked lamb chops. But the complexity of bringing my own table and chairs was a bit too much and I had a last minute change of plan.

Why would I even consider BYOT(able) and BYOC(hairs) too much trouble? After all, I did all that not too long ago. Yesterday I had a minor operation to remove an adventitial bursitis from my ankle. The surgery went well but I was reeling from the aftermath of sedative on my way home. I am not the type to sit still but I try not to hobble around the house too much. I really want to give the ankle its best chance of recovery. Au lieu of romantic dinner at home, it will be Cuban restaurant and attending a friend’s album launch at a club.

The one thing that I cannot compromise is birthday cake. I planned for this back in September when I found out M’s love for carrot cake. Last year, I unknowingly made a decadent chocolate layer cake because…who doesn’t like chocolate cake? Apparently M doesn’t but I did not find out (accidentally I may add) until recently. I was determined to make the best carrot cake for him this year.

One Convincing Reason

I did not plan on dining at Quay, undoubtedly one of the top restaurants in Sydney. Tasting menu lunch at Tetsuya’s was to be my one splurge of the trip and I was happy to explore the less formal establishments of Sydney dining scene. Located on the third floor of Oversea Passenger Terminal, Quay is as famous for its food as its spectacular view of the harbour. On days without any mega cruise ship docked at the harbour, you cannot beat a backdrop featuring the iconic Sydney Opera House while you wine and dine.

Lesser restaurants would coast on this enviable feature for sure. I heard of too many disappointing dining experiences at Restaurant With A View. However, thanks to non-stop nudging from a friend whose palate I trust, I emailed the restaurant for a lunch reservation with complete flexibility on date. It is well-known that Quay can be fully booked weeks in advance. I was lucky that a late Thursday lunch at the famed restaurant was available.

Although tasting menu was on offer, I opted for a lighter four-course lunch menu instead. My friend said I must try the signature snow egg dessert and I could order it without going through the whole tasting menu experience. After more than a week away from home, I missed home cook food dearly and working through multiple courses of meticulously constructed dishes did not sound so appealing anymore.

Pastries O'Clock

I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I frequented bakeries and pastry shops in Sydney. With a strong cafe culture, it was difficult to find a bad cup of coffee. To accompany all these silky smooth cups of flat whites, obviously I did not resist the call of flaky pain au chocolate, moist cakelets, meat pies, ubiquitous sausage rolls, and tarts of both sweet and savoury varieties.

In Sydney, there are certainly boutique-style pastry shops like Adriano Zumbo and Bécasse Bakery that rival any luxury patisseries in major metropolis. However, it was the quality of neighbourhood bakeries that charmed me the most. You could always count on them for good bread, non pretentious sweets, and excellent coffee.

Black Star Pastry in Newtown was my absolute favourite. The cupboard-size store was jammed with customers queuing for decadent breakfast and take-home treats when I visited on Saturday morning. I was lucky to find a spot to sit by the window and precariously balanced plates of goodies on the low polished rock stool. The Persian Fig, Quince, and Orange Cake with Pistachio and Rose Petal was a highlight of my trip Down Under. The buttery cake was moist with orange soaking syrup and the exotic Persian flavour combination was emphasized by pretty toppings’ textural contrast. It tasted like the most perfect cupcake except for its diminutive size…which made me crave more.

Sydney Chinatown Friday Night Market

Flying between Sydney and Toronto is no laughing matter and I am very glad to be back home after spending over 21 hours inside airplanes, countless steps running between airport terminals, and being away from home for two weeks. Although I am physically back home, I still have much travel stories to share and I hope you’ll indulge me with a few photo-heavy posts in the coming week.

In addition to The Rocks Village Bizarre, I also visited the Chinatown Friday Night Market. Both are night markets but they cannot be more different from each other. While The Rocks had ambiance to spare and whimsical themed activities, the Chinatown market had a raw energy shared between bustling stalls and enthusiastic crowd. A stretch of Dixon Street was closed to traffic and lined with plenty of vendors. There were usual suspects like phone accessories, crafts, toys, and useless knick knacks that one can find in any large Chinatown malls. But of course, it was the selection of street food that got me really excited.

Candy The Tourist

If you follow the updates on this blog and Facebook page, you may think that all I do in Sydney is eat and food shopping. Far from the truth! In fact, I have been playing tourist. Discovering all that Sydney has to offer is not possible with only a dozen days in the city but I try my best. I will show you some highlights in this post.

I went to Taronga Zoo and took part in the Wild Australia Experience. Not only did I get to see all the animals, the behind-the-scene tour was led by a zookeeper who took us inside some enclosures for a close up. It goes without saying that I had some one-on-one time with koala bear and red kangaroo. I also learned much about platypus, wallaby, Tasmanian devil, feather-tail glider, tree kangaroo, and echidna! The zookeeper even took us inside one of the kitchens preparing food for the zoo animals and I learned about conservation efforts in the country.

Emotional Over Chat Thai

Every once in a while I have a meal that is so alive with flavours that every bite makes me quite emotional. Thai food is famous for their unabashed expression of flavours but I rarely get to experience it in its finest form in my hometown. My dinner at Sway in Austin was a fine example of why Thai food grabs the attention of so many. Sway takes a modern approach to the cuisine and it was one of my 2013 dining highlights. M and I still talk about their food to this day (and M doesn’t really talk about food like my food loving friends do). Yesterday I visited Chat Thai in Westfield Sydney. Had I not been dining alone, I’m sure it would be another of my most talk-about meal as well. Had I not been dining alone, I would get to sample so many more different dishes!

Lunch At Tetsuya’s

After beautiful weather all week, I ran out of luck and it is pouring here in Sydney. No matter, I am on vacation and chilling in bed under a big fluffy duvet looking at the rain is relaxing too. Yesterday was anything but relaxing. I got up at the wee hours to visit Eveleigh Market at Carriage Works for breakfast and shopping. It was only 10 when I came back to drop off my groceries. In the evening, I made an impromptu trip to Bondi Beach to check out the last day of Sculpture By The Sea. I lingered in the salt-perfumed breeze until late at night. In between all that, I dolled up and went to famed Tetsuya’s for a lunch of their tasting menu.

I made the reservation almost as soon as I booked my flight to Sydney. Tetsuya’s may not be the hottest restaurant in town but it has certainly withstood the test of time. The Japanese-influenced building tucked between high-rises on Kent Street and looked out of place. The serene courtyard and garden helped to add ambience even though the bustling dining room seemed stuck in the 90s. But I am here for the food.

Chocolate Cafe

I came across at least half dozen chocolate cafes in Sydney without even looking for any. Australia has a vibrant coffee culture and I have yet to drink a cup of bad coffee. But chocolate is a huge draw here too. Chocolate is obviously the star of the menu. I’m talking about chocolate pastries, cakes, sundaes, milkshakes, ice-cream, and waffles. For drinks, do you like your chocolate hot or cold? With coffee or with whipped cream? Or an affogato with a scoop of chocolate gelato? Oh and don’t forget shelves stuffed with truffles and enrobed treats and tablets of every flavour!

The chocolate cafes act as uber-boutiques for traditional chocolatiers like Guylian, Max Brenner, and Lindt. However, it’s not just big names that are drawn to the trend. There are also local chocolatiers and small mom-and-pop shops too.

Explore To My Heart’s Content

Aside from my train ride from airport into the city, I have yet to try public transportation in Sydney. The city is remarkably pedestrian friendly when I’m merely steps away from King’s Wharf. Thanks to jetlag, I woke up uncharacteristically early before the clock strike 7. I suppose the normal course of action would be breakfast. As solo traveler, I have the luxury of planning (or not planning) my day with little regard to convention. That was how I ended up in a large grocery store first thing in the morning.

I took my time checking out every shelf in the store. Grocery shopping in foreign country is one of my favourite pastimes. I can easily spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at unfamiliar staples. I am almost embarrassed to admit that by the time I paid for my purchases at Woolworths, it was close to 10am. But I was happy as a clam with my bags full of neat purchases!

Hello From Sydney!

I survived the long flight from Toronto to Chicago to San Francisco to Sydney without going stir-crazy! But I had my share of drama right at the beginning of the trip. At the airport check-in counter, the crew asked if I had my visa to enter Australia. It was a moment of utter panic as I did not realize this not-so-minor detail until then. I quickly added up all the money I already spent on airfare and hotel and tried to rationalize cancelling the trip due to my own stupidity. Meanwhile, the crew member applied for a visa for me on the spot and  non-reassuringly commented that if I don’t get immediate approval, I would have to delay my trip. Thank goodness the approval arrived and I got on the plane without any issues.

I get mass transit envy every time traveling to cities with direct access subway/train to city centre. Being host country to the summer Olympics in 2000, I do not expect anything less. Alas, my hometown Toronto is still in the dark ages. It took me all of 20 minutes to arrive at my temporary home in Darling Harbour with no need for any transfer or connection. My host was waiting for me. I got my key and Wi-Fi password (so important) all before 10am.